Arrangement for controlling the steering-wheels of automobiles.



J. J. HEILMANN.

ARRANGEMENT FOR CONTROLLING THE STEERING WHEELS 0F AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY19, 1910.

1 14 7fi Patented June 29, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Fly j 1.]. HEILMANN. ARRANGEMENT FOR CONTROLLING THE STEERING WHEELS 0F AUTOMOBILES. I

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1 9, 1910.

1,14%?U6B Patented June 29, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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JEAN J ELEILMAEIN, 0F EARES, CE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

iPatentedJune as, role.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, JEAN Jaconns Henn- MANN, citizen of the French Republic, residing at Paris, in the Department of the Seine, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Arrangements for Controlling the SteeringWVheels of Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

The steering gears most generally employed at the present moment for controlling the steering wheels of automobiles consist in an arrangement of levers and connecting rods joined together by ball points or Cardan joints. in spite of the most advantageous combinations, these systems offer a certain rigidity which is manifested by a rapid wearing away of the parts and even very often a sudden breaking of one of .the parts.

A. certain flexibility or elasticity is necessary in the connections of the parts constituting the steering gears actually in use, in order to permit the constant displace ments between the wheels mounted on their shaft and the suspended chassis of the ve hicle. These displacements occur irregularly, suddenly and in various and opposite directions consequently the steering; gear is often exposed to constant and varied strains and consequently cannot be absolutely exact.

The present invention refers to a system for, controllingthe steering wheels of automobiles of all kinds and is absolutely inde pendent of the numerous and various actions and reactions of the chassisand'steering wheel.

With this arrangement the steering of the wheels is efiected in a manner absolutely independent and constant whatever may be the respective'and momentary positions of the chassis and of the steering wheels. This arrangement is based on a combination of three movements imparted to three series of parts, the-movement of which as a whole permits of obtaining a universal movement. These three movements comprise: a rectilincal movement parallel to the axis of the chassis, a rcctilineal movement oscillating perpendicularly to the axis of the chassis and a curvilinealmovement in a plane substantially horizontal and parallel to theaxis of rotation of the wheel.

This arrangement is shown in the drawing annexed to the which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, Fig. 2 is :1V front elevation, Fig. 3 is a plan view.

Variations and modifications in the construction of the parts as well as in the gen eral arrangement of the system can be ofpresent description, in

fected without in any way affecting the principle on which the said system is based.

"Referring to the figures of the drawing, 1 is the steering wheel, 2 is the steering pillar with endless screw actuating a displaceable nut 3 which latter by means of a fork '4: actuates a bell-crank lever 5 pivoting on a spindle 6 fastened to the chassis 7 of the vehicle. 8 is a connectingrod with strap and key ends 9 and 10 connecting the lever with a support slide 11 which latter can be displaced along a guide rod 12 carried by.

supports l fastened to the chassis 7. The support .11 has in its interior slide-way 'a movable cross-head 14: to which is pivoted by a strap 15, a rod 16 which is slidably mounted in a socket 17. This socket is carried by a part 18 which is mounted upon the vehicle wheel in such a manner that it per mits the independent rotation of the latter and yet follows the turning or angular movement thereof, the socket described. forming with the other elements before mentioned, an extensible or telescopic steer-.

lel tothe axis of the chassis or base frame.

of the vehicle. The plunger 16 and the socket 1?, which together with 18 form the extensible steering lover of the wheel, also take part in this displacement by their connection with the cross-head 14. The turning angle of the wheel always corresponds exactly with the position of the slide 11 along the guide B and according as the turning increases or decreases the rod 16 will quently whatever may be the'position "of the Wheel with respect to the chassis, the turn ing or steering will always be exactly controlled owing to the independence of the parts forming the control arrangement,

- which constitutes the object of the present invention.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:

1. A control device for the steering wheels of a vehicle, comprising aguide carried by the frame of the vehicle, a movable member guided thereby, said member being movable substantially in parallelism with the longitudinal axis of saidframe, a vertically displaceable part guided by said member, and a wheel controlling lever co-acting With said vertically displaceable part, said lever being angularly displaceable in a plane transverse to the vertical plane of the wheel.

2. A control device for steering Wheels of a vehicle comprising a manually-controlled steering part, a vehicle Wheel controlling lever, and means for operating said lever from said steering part, said means including a reciprocable supporting member, a guide for said member upon which said member moves substantially in parallelism with the longitudinal axis of the vehicle frame, and connections between said lever and supporting member comprising a vertically displaceable part, said part being displaced upon angular movement of the axis of rotation of the vehicle wheels with respect to the transverse axis of the vehicle frame, and connections from said steering part to said vertically displaceable part.

3. A control device for the steering wheels of a vehicle comprising a manually con trolled steering part, a vehicle wheel controlling lever, and means for operating said lever from said steering part, said means including a slidable support, a cross-head slidably connected to said support and adapted for vertical movement, said crosshead and lever being pivotally connected;

4. A control device for the steering wheels .of an automobile or the like, comprising a axis of the vehicle, onevof said elements beingconnected to one ofthe' vehiclewheels to permit independent rotation of the latter and to turn therewith and means connected to theother of said elements for angularly displacing said lever in accordance with the movements of the steering part'aforesaid.

5. A control device for the steering wheels of" a vehicle, comprising a manually 'controlled steering part, a reciprocable support,

means for moving said support in accord- 'ance with the movements ofsaid steering of a vehicle, comprising'a manually controlled steering part, a support movable forwardly and'rearwardly with respect to the frame of the vehicle, a telescopic vehicle Wheel lever angularly displaceable by the movements of said supportand means for connecting said support and said lever, said support and lever being vertically displaceable, one with respect to the other. 7. A control device for the steering wheels of an automobile or the like which comprises mechanism whereby an automobile Wheel may be angularly displaced about a substantially vertical axis, said wheel being left free to reciprocate vertically with respect to the chassis of the automobile, said mechanism comprising a guided support movable forwardly and rearwardly with respect to said chassis, a curvilinear] y displaceable vehicle wheel controlling device, said controlling device being adapted for vertical move ment with respect to the frame of the vehicle and a vertically displaceable clement connecting said device and said support.

4 8. A control device, comprising a manually controlled steering part, a vehicle wheel controlling lever, and means for operating said lever from said steering part, said means including a support adapted to slide longitudinally with respect to the axis of the vehicle frame, a cross-head adapted to vertically slide in a slot in said support, said. 

